First steel cut as Carnival Vista construction gets underway

SkyRide is an open-air cycling experience in which riders are suspended above the upper decks for a view that's 150 feet above the sea aboard the Carnival Vista that will debut in May 2016.

SkyRide is an open-air cycling experience in which riders are suspended above the upper decks for a view that's 150 feet above the sea aboard the Carnival Vista that will debut in May 2016. (Carnival Cruise Lines)

The first steel for the Carnival Vista was cut last week at Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, for the vessel that's due in 2016. It will be the first new ship from Carnival since the debut of the Carnival Breeze in 2012.

The Breeze was the third of three sister ships in the 3,650-passenger Dream class. The 135,000-ton, 4,000-passsenger Vista will be the largest the cruise line has ever built.

The ship will incorporate the Fun Ship 2.0 features that are being rolled out across the Carnival fleet, but also unique features that have yet to be announced.

The ship, which won't be in service until winter 2016 has yet to have a homeport or itineraries announced.

The cruise line currently sails 12 of its 24 ships out of five Florida ports, and has plans to keep 10 of those ships in the Sunshine State through the summer including the Breeze and the soon-to-arrive Carnival Sunshine, which is coming to Port Canaveral to replace the New Orleans-bound Carnival Dream. The Sunshine is actually the newest named ship in the fleet, as it's the new name given to the Carnival Destiny, which debuted in 1996, but underwent a months-long overhaul in early 2013 to give the ship the latest Fun Ship 2.0 features.

Carnival Cruise Line is part of the Carnival Corporation, the world's largest cruise operator with more than 100 ships across 10 brands that include Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn and Cunard. Before the Vista's debut, the company will see the arrival of the Regal Princess in May, the Costa Diadema in October, the P&O Britannia and an unnamed Holland America ship in 2016 as well as an unnamed Seabourn vessel in 2016.

"We are extremely excited about the new builds coming down the pike," said Carnival Corporation CEO Arnold Donald.

The Royal Caribbean Quantum of the Seas was built at the Meyer Werft shipyards and delivered in October 2014. It's the first of two ships that have been part of the line's Project Sunshine. The sister ship Anthem of the Seas is due in spring 2015. Read about ship details